the Gin is IN

Gin from an American perspective, since 2009.
Monthly Archives: February 2012

Cocktails by Consensus: Leap Day Cocktail

Feb
29
Posted in Cocktails by Consensus 0

As the origin for the leap day cocktail is rather clear, we don’t see a ton of variation. Slate’s version is by the far most different, opting for an increased quantity of lemon juice. Savoy Stomp’s quantities aren’t actually different, they instead opt for precision of the original’s quantities. 2/3 of the glass measurement used in the the original book is approximately 1/2 of 3/4 of an ounce. For you fraction addicts out there, 3/8 of an ounce will do. Happy Leap Day! Source #1: Slate Source #2: The Institute for Alcoholic Experimentation Source #3: Savoy Stomp  Source #4: Ice, [...]

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rereview: G’vine Nouaison

Feb
28
Posted in Bottles of Gin 0
Juniper Spice Heat Citrus Floral
Gin Flavor Profile

We’ll G’vine, we meet again. again. Long time readers of the Gin is In will know that this was the first gin I officially awarded five stars too. A lot of what I wrote about Floraison  is equally true about Nouaison, so let’s get on to the actual tasting notes, shall we? The Scent The smell is a more muted variation on Floraison. A subtle floral bouquet, but no intimations of its strength (44% vs Floraison’s 40%) nor of its more juniper-like stature. On the Tongue There’s some warm citrus notes a  powerful note of cassia. The floral notes are [...]

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rereview: G’vine Floraison

Feb
26
Posted in Bottles of Gin 0
Juniper Spice Heat Citrus Floral
Gin Flavor Profile

Bold and satisfying, but puts all of its eggs in the "Floral" basket. Hints of other flavors are very quiet.

I would never turn down a chance to revisit some of my oldest gin commentaries. I think my knowledge of gin and my gin experiences have expanded greatly since that time back in winter 2009 when I decided that “since I had five gins in the apartment, why don’t I start reviewing them?!” Both varieties of G’vine’s gin were among those initial five. Although my initial review of Floraison was posted in August 2010, it was one of the gins that inspired me to take on this journey. Now, while well known, and having been reviewed by so many others, [...]

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Cocktails By Consensus: The Ballantine Cocktail

Feb
23
Posted in Cocktails 1

We’re going back a little bit further, pulling a gem out of the Waldorf Astoria Cocktail Book called the Ballantine Cocktail. The general gist is take a martini and add some orange bitters and a dash of a strongly aromatic liquor. Firstly, for the uninitiated the difference is rather subtle. The additional ingredients don’t add a ton the traditional martini formula. But for those tuned into their liquors, you may appreciate the touch of bitterness added from the new ingredients. Absinthe or Pastis? This appears to be the biggest difference of opinion between our three sources. I’m positing that the [...]

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Farmer’s Botanical Organic Gin

Feb
21
Posted in Bottles of Gin 0
Juniper Spice Heat Citrus Floral
Gin Flavor Profile

“Organic,” for a while I thought was going to be the next BIG thing in spirits. It seemed all at once that vodkas and gins were appearing on the shelf at my local liquor store advertising that the botanicals, the base, everything was organic. So slowly, it seemed an inevitability that the USDA label would start appearing on liquor bottles, proclaiming (legally) that at least 95% of this beverage’s components were produced in accordance with USDA’s guidelines for calling something organic. Well, I won’t turn this into a referendum on the “organic” label, nor on the USDA’s guidelines. Let’s get [...]

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Smooth Ambler’s Greenbrier Gin

Feb
17
Posted in Bottles of Gin 0
Juniper Spice Heat Citrus Floral
Gin Flavor Profile

Warm and balanced with notes that warrant comparison to Genever and Old Tom style gins.

West Virginia is a place that I mentally associate with whiskey. It may be that border with Kentucky. It may be the mountains and the inseparable notions of Appalachia and barrel-aged spirits. It may also be a reality: there’s more distillers making Whiskey in West Virginia making bourbon and whiskey (Smooth Ambler included) than there are those making gin. But nevermind the stereotypes and ignore the preconceived notions. Although Greenbrier gin comes from the heart of moonshine country, it stands on its own while retaining a little bit of those bourbon roots. Getting down to the Base Where are these bourbon roots? [...]

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Cocktails by Consensus: The Tom Collins

Feb
16
Posted in Cocktails by Consensus 0

Today, I’m briefly revisiting one of my first posts.  When I was young (oh so young, and foolish may I add) I thought a Tom Collins = Gin + Sour Mix. Now, for the sake of not calling any one bartender out or any one specific bar tending school whose manual spelled out a Tom Collins as such I will let them go nameless in the hope that its not too late to right their wrongs and make an honest Tom Collins. My friend went to bartending school. And I don’t know, do these bad kind of bartending schools still [...]

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Now on Pinterest

Feb
15
Posted in Other Thoughts 0

The Gin is In is on Pinterest  

5 Amusing Gin Advertisements from Yesteryear

Feb
13
Posted in Other Thoughts 5

I don’t like to get in a habit of making light of the past. I’m sure that in thirty years many of our modern tropes will be laughable; our advertising comical and outdated. Many good things have come from the past. Old Cocktail book? They sure don’t make them like the used to. Anyway, that aside there have been some particularly amusing moments from gin’s long and illustrious advertising history. Now a brief look at how far we’ve come and where our favorite liquor once was. “My Dear- why don’t you do as I suggest?” This sounds like an awkward [...]

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The Pegu Club Cocktail w/ Back River Gin

Feb
11
Posted in Gin in the Kitchen 0

Back River Gin + Pegu Club Cocktail A fantastic cocktail. The blueberry notes of the back river gin added some unique notes to this cocktail. I eased off and only added one kind of bitters as to not add to many flavor notes. I don’t think that the gin required me to go easy on it, but needless to say: it was an extremely good cocktail.

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